Golden Sentinel
by ian.michael
Summary: The peace in the Land of Fire is disturbed when a power hungry man comes to rule the Hyuga clan. This catalyzes an alliance between the Uchiha and Kyuubi clans which force Naruto to move into the Uchiha territory as a guardian for Sasuke and Itachi.
1. Chapter 1

WARNING: YAOI/NARUSASU/OOC

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO. SIGH

GOLDEN SENTINEL

By: Ian-Michael

There was once a calm peace that kept aggressions at bay within the Land of Fire's boundaries. Many strong tribes were scattered along its vast expanse, each with their own strengths and pronounced attributes. Among the myriad groups, there were three larger, more prevalent tribes which were the Uchihas, the Hyugas, and the Kyuubis. Each was feared for its own reasons—the Uchihas were blessed with the powers of fire, the Hyugas had mastered water elements, while the Kyuubi tribe was gifted with strength and instant healing. Among the populations not within these main tribes, rumors were spreading on how each of the three clans received their gifts. Some believed that the Uchihas were favored by fire gods as their stronghold was in the desert. On the other hand, the Hyugas started their lives beside the rivers and were rumored to receive favor from the water spirits. Out of these, the most interesting history ran with the Kyuubi clan whose women seemed to bear a spirit within them that they passed onto their children. It is said that each woman in the Kyuubi clan had the ability to pass along their powers to their children, while the men did not—meaning that if they were to have children outside of the Kyuubi clan, their children would not receive the strength or healing that most members received.

The Uchihas were in the central desert of the Land of Fire. Their city was surrounded by heavy slate walls with guards at the four entrances. Considered wealthy and powerful, they were feared because the fires they created would clear an area within minutes. In fact, many people believed that the desert was actually created by one of the Uchihas' ancestors. The ruling family consisted of King Fugaku, Queen Mikoto, and two princes named Itachi, the older, and the younger, Sasuke. Every single member of the Uchiha family, ranging from the ruling family to their extended family exhibited analogous features--pure black to raven hair, black eyes with rims of fire, light cool skin that contrasted their intense eyes, and an ere of nobility.

Far to the west, by the deltas and rivers, resided the Hyugas who had powers that rivaled and elementally opposed the Uchihas. Each and every member of the tribe was born with crystalline eyes, fair skin, mahogany hair, and the ability to control water. Unlike the other tribes who had peaceful rulers, a rather ambitious man had become the ruler of the tribe—Hiashi Hyuga. Unlike the previous ruler who believed the Hyugas should be as gentle as a stream, Hiashi preferred the Hyuga clan to be more similar to a tsunami. It was during his time as ruler that war seemed imminent within the Land of Fire. His two daughters, Hinata and Hanabi, were the reigning princesses over their land, and as delicate as they seemed, did not shy away from battle either. The beauty and elegance of the two Hyuga daughters lead them to be sought after by many suitors from other smaller tribes who hoped to make an alliance with the clan. Hiashi ordained that any man who was to marry one of his daughters would have to be able to defeat them in battle—a feat that no man has yet accomplished.

And to the east was the Kyuubi clan who prospered within the trees and forests. Out of the main tribes, they were the most feared in war. Their incomparable strength and healing abilities were so multiplicative that they soon engulfed the battlefield along with their enemies in a matter of minutes. The people of this tribe were completely different from the Hyugas and Uchihas. Many people referred to them as "The People of the Sun" because of their golden brown skin, champagne colored hair, and azure eyes. Also, unlike the other tribes, they did not rely on family lineage to pick a ruler, instead the strongest in the clan would receive the title as the leader of the Kyuubi clan. As of now, they were on their fourth king, who was dubbed Yondaime Kyuubi—or fourth Kyuubi. They referred to their kings by numbers to conceal the king's true name in order to protect his family from aggressive nations who would try to kidnap them. The current ruler was exceptionally formidable and was only interested in prolonging peace during his time. So it was only natural that Fugaku Uchiha and he saw eye to eye on making an alliance because they knew of Hiashi Hyuga's hunger in power.

They had both agreed on sending one of their strongest warriors to the other nation. Yondaime Kyuubi wanted someone to look over his family as a personal protector, while Fugaku wanted someone to protect both Itachi and Sasuke. Not only would this signify that each clan protected each other, but to also show that each clan acknowledged the other's power.

+++++++++++++++++++++++

Fugaku and Yondaime agreed to meet halfway between the two areas their tribes occupied. Each brought with them a rather substantial following that consisted of guards, scribes, scholars, and of course the person each would give to the other. Fugaku brought Itachi and Sasuke with him as he wanted the two to see how diplomacy could work to strengthen ties. However, Yondaime, who wanted to keep his family safe, went alone. As the two rulers met, they shook hands and signed a treaty of alliance. After that they were to exchange the warriors. 

Both rulers took seats beside each other, while Itachi and Sasuke sat beside their father. The two clans were so different in their appearances. The men from the Kyuubi tribe wore rather low-rise, black pants that hugged their slim legs appreciatively. They also wore soft leather boots that went up mid-calf. The clothing was rather simple, yet their body was usually embellished with a form of gold. It was also apparent that most of the men didn't believe in shirts. As Sasuke studied the Kyuubi people, he noticed that most of them wore an ornate golden belt around their waist that had an pendant of a nine-tailed fox, while others had a large necklace with the emblem of the fox on the center. The two princes were absolutely amazed at these people who seemed to be glowing under the afternoon sun. On the other hand, the Uchihas wore long elegant robes in blue and black hues made from the finest, thinnest silks which Fugaku said helped them stay cool in the desert. All of the Uchiha men had longer hair which was just as sensitive to the wind as their garments. Everything about them was in motion, from their clothes to their hair and even the rim of fire around their eyes.

"I hope you do not mind me asking if I can see how strong your warrior is, Yondaime," asked Fugaku who was now sitting beside the blond Kyuubi.

The blond king gave a chuckle and replied, "I was going to ask you the same thing."

The two princes sat beside Fugaku and were watching their father interact with Yondaime Kyuubi. The two of them seemed to be very easy around each other, which they had guessed was due to their similarity in philosophies and growing conviction.

"Since you asked first, I shall show you the warrior I have personally picked out to protect the princes," and with a clap of his hands, a young man with a mask made his way through the crowd. "He is one of our strongest fighters, I have yet to see him lose a battle."

The man walking through the crowd of Uchihas and Kyuubis was dressed somewhat differently from the rest. He wore rough, gold embossed pants with black mid-calf leather boots. Unlike the rest of the Kyuubi men, this boy had both the large golden belt around his waist, and an ornate golden necklace that plunged to the middle of his abdomen. His face was covered by a mask that had a white base with a golden sun painted into the center. The upper portions of the mask were covered by flowing blond locks that danced around the warriors mask like rays of the sun. The only visible features on the blond's face were his sinuous cerulean eyes that were doused in intensity. With each step he took towards the front, the crowd watched in awe as his body flexed with even the simplest movement of his legs. His skin was an aureate caramel that seemed to hug tightly to the lean muscles underneath.

Sasuke studied the boy coming up noting how strong his presence was—basically all eyes in the room were on the beautiful blond warrior walking up to where the kings were. There was something about how he stood, walked, and stared that made him godly—nearly untouchable.

Yondaime looked pleased as he saw the people admire the warrior. Finally reaching the kings, the masked man bent down on one knee and fixed his gaze to the floor.

The blond king looked at the boy who was now on one knee bowing to him. "Please show our guests, your abilities."

With a nod, the gold embellished warrior got up and pulled two large, golden sais from the back of his belt. He twirled them around his finger before holding them steadily and getting into a fighting stance. Sasuke couldn't keep his eyes off of the boy, there was a strength in him that made the young Uchiha envious.

"You will be fighting--," Yondaime smirked, "me." As he said this, the Kyuubi king got up from his chair and grabbed his sword. The three Uchihas looked at the him—they were amazed that the king himself would test out the warrior. There was no way in hell that the king in the Uchiha clan would ever fight one of their own.

"Fugaku, please do us the pleasure," said Yondaime who was now facing the golden youth.

The Uchiha king nodded and raised his hand, and as he dropped it down yelled, "Fight!"

Yondaime lunged forward at the masked man and unsheathed his sword to attack. As Yondaime Kyuubi prepared to slash through his opponent, the masked blond quickly countered the attack, using his sais to twist the sword backwards away from his body. The king recovered by flipping backwards to once again gain control of his sword. He smiled at his opponent, "You do not have to take it easy on me."

With that, the warrior nodded and placed one of his sais behind his back. He then raised his free hand into the air and brought it crashing down into the ground. The intensity of the vibrations ruptured the earth upwards causing the ground Yondaime was standing on to move, temporarily making the king vulnerable. Seeing an open opportunity, the masked warrior ran towards Yondaime with such a speed that many swore to only see a blur of yellows and golds. He brought his sais forward across his torso, and as he got closer to the king, he slashed into Yondaime's side, drawing blood.

The blond king laughed, "That's more like it." He turned around to meet the combatant once again and slashed his sword diagonally down the warrior's back, who did not flinch at the attack.

Sasuke was intrigued with the battle at first, but now that blood was present he couldn't help but feel a pang of fear and mortification rise in his throat. But just when he thought the battle was nearing its conclusion, his eyes were diverted to the cuts on each warrior's body—the incisions were already healing. He watched as golden skin covered up the crimson trails with only a few drops of blood able to make it out before it was completely and perfectly sealed again.

Fugaku stood up, "You're giving us a warrior that can even stand up to you?" He was thoroughly impressed with Yondaime's generosity.

The blond king bowed to the other warrior and looked at Fugaku, "Of course, when I tell you I will send you one of our strongest I keep my word."

The Uchiha ruler made his way to where the two blonds and shook Yondaime's hand. Then he turned his attention to the unphased warrior, "What is your name?"

Emotionless azure met Fugaku's eyes before the blond went on one knee again, bowing to the Uchiha. "Naruto Uzumaki Kyuubi."

"Please stand, Naruto. I want you to meet my sons, whom you will be protecting." He motioned to the two boys to come over to where their new protector stood.

As Naruto stood up, he looked at the two boys walking towards him. He took a special interest in the younger Uchiha who looked like he was about his age. There was a quiet passion about the boy—like he was studying you with every passing second.

"Naruto, I would like to introduce you to Sasuke and Itachi."

The warrior bowed to the princes, "It will be my pleasure and honor to be your guardian."

Yondaime made his way to stand by Naruto and told him, "Please take off your mask, Naruto."

Naruto's hands reached behind his back to undo the clasp that held his mask on. With a snap, the mask began its slow descent down Naruto's face, guided by his gleaming hands.

Sasuke could feel his heart beat progressively faster as inch-by-inch Naruto's face was exposed. He could see that the same golden skin that wrapped the boy's body also graced his face. His eyes were unfaltering and piercing yet had a gentleness which rivaled the calm skies. He also had three light marks, almost like whiskers, on each cheek. When his mask was fully off, Sasuke saw that the blond was looking directly at him, causing the Uchiha's cream skin to blush. 'He's… he's… like no one I've ever seen,' Sasuke thought.

The now unmasked warrior noticed the younger Uchiha's reaction and wanted to make a pleasant facial expression that showed he was flattered. However, under such formal conditions, Naruto simply stood there as everybody looked at his handsome face.

Fugaku even gawked at the boy, "You're… you're… so young and already talented in battle. Very impressive."

Yondaime reassured, "His age has no effect on his fighting. If I were not the fourth ruler, then I would expect him to be it."

Fugaku, who was extremely impressed with the Kyuubi clan's warrior, thanked the king for his generosity. He then motioned to a man in the crowd to move towards the stage.

A tall, well built man with the typical Uchiha features made his way up to Fugaku and bowed, he then turned to Yondaime and bowed as well. He was dressed in the finest black garbs which flowed with the movements of the wind. Yondaime noted the Uchiha warrior's eyes had a more powerful ring of fire running around the black orbs than what he had seen in the king's.

"Yondaime Kyuubi, I present to you Shisui Uchiha. He will be your family's guardian," Fugaku said as he presented the dark haired boy to the Kyuubi king.

Looking up to see the blond king, Shisui said, "It will be my honor to serve you, Yondaime."

Wanting to show off Shisui's talents, Fugaku ordered him to present a fire show to the Kyuubi king. With that Shisui opened up his palm and created a small ball of fire which then multiplied into twelve. They began to form a circle around Shisui and started to spin in a mesmerizing manner. All of a sudden, Shisui made a hand sign and all the fireballs concentrated into the center of the circle and with great control, the Uchiha warrior moved the large fireball over his head and pushed it up into the sky, creating fireworks that rivaled the colors the sun created.

"I see that you are more than proficient with fire techniques," Yondaime said, pleased with the display. "Your eyes seem to burn with nothing but passion and strength—very impressive."

Fugaku nodded, "He is one of the highest ranking prodigies in our clan. The technique you witnessed was of his own creation. You can rest assured that he will fulfill his purpose and much more."

"Ah yes, I do not doubt your word Fugaku. Thank you."

The exchange went extremely well between the Uchihas and Kyuubis. After finalizing the arrangements, each of the clans made their way back to their strongholds.

++++++++++++++++++++++++

As the Uchihas approached the royal carriages, Fugaku and Itachi got into the first one, while Sasuke and Naruto got into the one behind them. The carriages were white with obsidian adornments which framed the structure. Ahead of the carriages were two black horses with fiery colored manes that would take them back to the Uchiha territory.

Naruto had been following the younger Uchiha around ever since the ceremony ended--he was a guard after all. Unknown to the blond, Sasuke was feeling rather awkward having the beautiful boy follow him everywhere—it made him nervous. Now the two of them were alone in a carriage, sitting in front of each other. Sasuke would have been fine, except for his heart which always seemed to jump into a racing pace every time the blond was near. It was just that all his life everybody around him had been fully clothed, in elaborate silken garbs which showed nothing but the neck, face, and hands. And right now before him was a man who was wearing nothing more than pants, boots, and golden accessories. He stole a glance at Naruto who was looking out of the window—blue eyes capturing orange rays of the setting sun. He noted how defined Naruto's features were, from his strong jawline to the muscles that pulled at his honeyed skin. Something gleamed and caught Sasuke's attention. The golden necklace around Naruto's neck was moving across the boy's lower stomach as the carriage moved. Sasuke was caught in a trace, he couldn't help looking at his new protector.

'I have accepted my task,' Naruto thought as he saw the trees disappear into sand. 'It can't be too bad, at least there is someone here my age.'

He turned and saw Sasuke staring at his necklace. "Prince Sasuke. Is anything the matter?"

Sasuke instantly snapped out of the blond's trace. He felt a blush disperse onto his cheeks at the realization that Naruto had just caught his fixated eyes. "Y-yes, Naruto, I do apologize."

"Did you want to see my necklace," asked the blond with a smile. He was now with the Uchihas, there was no need to be as formal as he was at the presentation, especially around the younger one.

Sasuke felt relieved that Naruto only thought he was looking at the necklace. Without even the chance to answer, he saw the blond pull the necklace off and hand it to him. "I've just never seen anything so beautiful. We don't have gold back where I live," he said gazing into the fox pendant.

"We have a lot of it in the Kyuubi territory," answered Naruto.

"I could tell, most of you have gold somewhere on your body," Sasuke replied, following a bit of laughter. He then handed the necklace back to Naruto, "Thank you."

Naruto nodded as he placed his jewelry back on. "So Prince Sasuke, may I ask how old you are?"

"I'm 18. And please, just call me Sasuke."

Feeling a little more relaxed, Naruto replied, "Sorry… Sasuke."

"That's better," came a smile on cream skin. "How old are you, Naruto?"

"I'm also 18."

Sasuke who was shocked and feeling rather inadequate compared to the blond retorted, "REALLY? And you can fight like that already!?"

"I have been training for fifteen of those years. In our clan, training begins very early," came a nonchalant reply from the blond which was followed by a calm silence between the two.

All of a sudden the carriage stopped rigidly and Sasuke flew out of his seat and somehow landed in Naruto's lap. It may have only lasted for a few seconds, but Sasuke could feel the blond's warm abdomen against his face with each muscle acting as a support for the young Uchiha. Then he realized that his body was being embraced by a pair of protective arms, and as he looked up he saw Naruto smiling down at him. "Are you okay?"

"Uh… uh yeah. Sorry about that Naruto." Sasuke began to pull himself up until he felt Naruto's arm.

"Why don't you just sit beside me until we get home? That way if the carriage stops again, you won't be falling over," grinned the blond.

Sasuke gulped. The carriage they were in was rather narrow. If he sat beside Naruto they would basically be shoulder to shoulder. However, the warm sensations coming from Naruto's body made Sasuke feel safe. "Is—is that okay?"

"Yeah why wouldn't it be?" The blond reassured Sasuke that he didn't mind at all.

"O—okay." Sasuke slowly sat down beside Naruto, but before he was able to sit down, the carriage jerked forward. He almost fell face first into the floor, but then a familiar hand grabbed him by the waist and held him up.

Naruto laughed at the clumsy Uchiha. "No wonder they wanted someone to watch over you."

"I'm normally not this bad, I promise," Sasuke reassured as the blond pulled him into the seat. He hated the fact that his face was heating up due to all the bodily contact Naruto and him just shared.

"Why don't you get some rest, Sasuke?" Naruto was beginning to think that maybe the day's events had made the young prince tired.

"I'm fine. Really," Sasuke affirmed.

Not more than thirty minutes later, Sasuke fell asleep with his head back against the wall of the carriage. Eventually, his head found its way to Naruto's shoulder and remained there for the rest of the trip.

Naruto was starting to feel rather protective of the young Uchiha already. He found his mannerisms rather charming and delightful. All of a sudden, he felt Sasuke wrap one of his arms around the blond's, as he whimpered in his sleep.

The Kyuubi warrior couldn't help but smile at the happy expression on Sasuke's face. 'The Uchihas are truly an elegant people. But this one… this one is just… beautiful.'

"Sleep tight, Sasuke."

After making sure that Sasuke was comfortable, Naruto diverted his blue eyes to the window once again and looked at a crescent moon forming above the night horizon. 'I wonder what awaits me…'

TBC.

Thank you for reading and please review :D


	2. Chapter 2

WARNING: YAOI/NARUSASU/OOC/AU

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO. SIGH

**GOLDEN SENTINEL**

CHAPTER 2

By: Ian-Michael

Naruto gazed at the sleeping prince beside him and watched his chest rise and fall in a gentle manner. The material covering the dark haired boy's chest had opened up in reaction to the constant movement of the carriage—exposing a clear silky chest, shadowed by lean muscle. The blond couldn't help but run a finger down the smooth cream colored skin and was greeted by a low muffled groan coming from Sasuke's throat. Instantly feeling the prince wake up, Naruto withdrew his hand and suddenly felt the prince grab it in protest. His attention moved from the alabaster chest to the obisidian eyes that were now locked into his gaze. The blond felt Sasuke pull his fingers back towards his chest with eyes full of yearning and lust.

He pressed one of Naruto's fingers to his now burning chest and guided it downwards, while his free hand undid the tie that held his garbs together. His eyes not once leaving Naruto's he whispered, "Touch me."

The blond was now looking at a completely shirtless prince whose eyes were dulled and hazed with longing. He studied the fine lines on Sasuke's torso and licked his lips as he saw how all the fine contours lead to the prince's waistband. There was a dim light that illuminated the china-like skin and gave it a warm sensual tone that made Naruto's member stir. His body trembled with delight as Sasuke guided his fingers closer to where the prince's body lines collided—close to the waistband of Sasuke's thin silken pants. The dark haired prince placed one of Naruto's fingers under his waistband and ran along its perimeter, causing Sasuke to close his eyes at the electricity that sparked from Naruto's fingers. In a low husky voice, Sasuke said, "Naruto, touch me."

Seeing Sasuke's head fall back, Naruto began to lightly kiss the exposed throbbing neck, using his tongue to put pressure on the pulsing vein. He could feel the heat transfer from Sasuke's body into his mouth while his fingers still played on top of the prince's waistband. Eyes growing heavy with the need to intensify the sense of touch, Naruto began descending down the prince's body while alternating kissing and biting. His mouth grew ravenous as he tasted Sasuke's body—a mixture of mint and salty flesh. Naruto's tongue and lips oscillated from the heat of Sasuke's body to the cool of the mint coming from his pores. Following the definitive line between Sasuke's chest with his tongue, Naruto licked a trail of fire that caused Sasuke's back to arch. Feeling the prince tense, Naruto blew cool air to react with the warm trail which sent Sasuke's body back to the wall of the carriage. The blond warrior continued his journey down the prince's stomach, licking and kissing each firm plate of Sasuke's abdominals.

The pleasure-ridden prince began to writhe under Naruto's pressure. Every single cell of his body that made contact with Naruto's warm mouth was sent into overdrive—causing his body to move uncontrollably. As he sensed the blond moving closer and closer to his waistband, the prince ran his fingers through the fine golden hair. He then felt Naruto's warm tongue graze the top of his waistband. Sasuke's head was thrown back by the fire and electricity that shot from Naruto's mouth down to the base of his growing erection--he tugged at the blond hair out of pure reaction and passion. He moaned the blond's name into the air as he felt Naruto pull his pants down—tanned cheek brushing up against the corona of his erection. "Na…ru…to…"

Naruto turned at the sound of his name being muttered by the sleeping prince. He had heard his names said many times before in rather odd tones ranging from anger to admiration. However, the tone Sasuke said his name in was new to Naruto and he didn't know what to make of it. The usually shy and quiet prince had been moaning in his sleep and had now said the blond's name.

All of a sudden Naruto saw Sasuke's back arch as if he were trying to connect his body with something—a low satisfied tone coming from his throat. The blond decided he should probably wake the sleeping prince up.

He grabbed Sasuke by the hips and tried to set him down on the seat again. "Sasuke, Sasuke!!"

The prince's world shattered into black. Soon he felt someone holding him and as he opened his eyes, he was greeted by worried blue eyes. "Sasuke, are you okay? You were jolting around earlier."

The once half lidded eyes were now fully open with a red flash under his cheeks. "Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry, I had a… nightmare." He wished so hard that there was a tree he could walk into as he saw the blond's eyebrows arch. Suddenly, his attention went to the warm hard muscle in his pants and in an attempt to hide it, Sasuke crossed his legs.

Naruto grinned with relief and confusion. "Nightmare, huh? You know you said my name."

The once pink cheeks turned bright red as Sasuke realized he may have been a little too vocal during his dream. Trying to retaliate he said the first thing that came into his mind, "You—you---well you saved me from the---uh monster."

"Well then why were you bucking and arching your back. You moaned too you know."

'Oh my god,' Sasuke thought. 'I am never sleeping around Naruto again.' He tried to organize a coherent and sensible answer and came up with, "I was dodging the monster's attacks. He punched me a few times though… that's probably why I moaned." Feeling his world come undone, Sasuke covered his face with his hands and sunk down into his lap.

Naruto didn't know what to make of the prince, he knew he was hiding something, but he knew it would be out of place for him to question the prince in that way. "Was I able to protect you?"

Sasuke's head jerked up in disbelief. 'Does he really believe me?' All of a sudden his undone world began to form again as he thought Naruto bought his excuse. "Yeah you did." The intense red on his cheeks was still present as he remembered his dream.

"Good," Naruto replied with a smile. "Now why don't you go to sleep again?"

Looking at Naruto as if he'd given him an invitation to death, Sasuke replied, "N—no thanks. I don't want to have another—"

His answer was interrupted by a large grin from the blond, "Nightmare?"

'Maybe he doesn't buy it,' Sasuke thought looking at the smile on Naruto's face. Regaining some composure, he answered Naruto's question, "Yeah."

The blond gave a laugh and then reassured Sasuke that he wouldn't have anything to worry about with him around. "How much longer until we're there Sasuke?"

The prince looked out of the window to look at the landscape, trying to find some sort of clue as to where they were. He then saw a large mountain on the horizon and turned to Naruto, "Maybe another twenty or thirty minutes."

"Ah, finally," Naruto sighed. He didn't like being confined to the limits of the carriage, although the prince seemed to make it more bearable. His body, which had been inactive for the past few hours, was now full of energy and yearning for movement. "Hey, Sasuke, do you want to train when we get back? I could teach you a few things."

Sasuke's eyes grew wide with the unintended innuendo and only managed to nod in response.

They finally reached the gates to the Uchiha citadel which opened to the royal carriages with a loud and thunderous boom.

Sasuke looked at Naruto, who was now looking around frantically, "We're here, Naruto."

The blond cheered, knowing that in a matter of minutes, he could stretch his legs out. "Finally!" He poked his head out of the window and looked around as they pushed through the gates. All the buildings had square shaped bases with ornate pointed roofs. The city radiated with blue and purples hues as the descending light reflected off of the roofs. The air was dry yet full of life and movement. There was a multitude of faces that gazed at the two carriages as they moved through the streets towards a grand castle. "This is unbelievable," Naruto muttered as he thought how different these buildings were from the ones he'd grown up in as a child.

Hearing Naruto's comment, Sasuke said, "It's beautiful isn't it?"

The blond pulled his head back in and glanced the Sasuke, "Yeah, I've never seen anything like it."

As soon as the carriages stopped, Sasuke knew they were at home. He reached out to grab the handle to the door, but was stopped as he saw a tanned hand open the door for him. He looked up to see Naruto smiling at him, "Let me get that for you, Sasuke."

"Thank you, Naruto. Welcome to your home," came a nonchalant reply.

Naruto looked up at the magnificent white castle he was going to live in. Shaking his head, he realized that Sasuke was already moving towards the castle entrance, so he ran to be at the prince's side.

In front of them stood Fugaku and Itachi who welcomed Naruto to their castle and introduced him to the queen. Naruto noticed a gentleness yet fierceness in the lady in front of him. She looked at Sasuke, "Will you please show Naruto to his room, Sasuke?"

Sasuke nodded and lead the blond through hallway after hallway of fine marbled floors and black walls. As they stopped in front of an ornate forest green door decorated with precious stones, Sasuke turned to Naruto, "This will be your room."

Not wanting to be too far from Sasuke, Naruto asked, "Sasuke, where is your room?"

The young prince smiled and pointed to a red door beside Naruto's. "There.'

"Oh. Good. I am your guardian after all. And Itachi's room?"

Sasuke pointed to a room at the end of the hallway that had a larger red door. "That's Itachi's. I'm thinking they placed you beside us both to protect us huh?"

Naruto nodded in agreement, "Your father made a wise decision. Now go get ready and I shall train you."

"Alright," answered Sasuke with a smile.

After seeing Sasuke into his room, Naruto went next door, into his, and gazed at the high ceilings and fine materials that made up his room. The room was a brilliant white with blue and black silks and satins hanging from the windows that looked over the Uchiha territory. His bed was large enough to fit a family of four and was fitted with thin white cotton sheets. The floor was a cool slate marble which had various items of decorative furniture splayed in an organized manner. They had given him a large closet with fancy elm dressers to place his clothes. There was a connecting room that had a concrete stall for showering and another closed off section for the restroom. 'This might not be so bad… not so bad at all,' he thought with a grin. He began to unpack some of his clothes after the servants brought up his luggage--there was definitely more space in the closet and dressers than he needed.

After settling in, Naruto went out to check on Sasuke, to see if he was ready. Knocking on the door, Naruto asked loudly, "Sasuke, you ready to get some training done?"

After a few seconds, Naruto heard the door unlatch and out stepped the prince. He was no longer wearing the silken garbs from earlier, but instead had on black cotton pants, black battle-ready boots, and a chest guard with the Uchiha fan crest embossed into the center. Even so, the attire showed off Sasuke's bare arms and sides as the chest guard only covered the front of and back of the prince's torso. Looking at Sasuke's eyes, Naruto noticed an unfamiliar intensity in the deep black pools—he looked like he was ready to fight.

Sasuke looked at the boy standing dangerously close to him and felt another rush of nervousness concentrate in his cheeks, "Yeah, I'm ready, Naruto. Let's go, I'll show you the training grounds."

Naruto and Sasuke had been sparring for the past three hours. Naruto was, of course, using his sais during battle, while Sasuke had chosen a scimitar that could disperse Sasuke's fire energy along its blade. The battle had usually ended up in the favor of the blond who seemed to outmatch the dark haired prince in speed and strength. However, the one thing Sasuke had over Naruto was planning and tactics—a lesson Naruto learned after trying to confuse the prince with quick movements only to be thrown off his feet as Sasuke threw a line of fire with his scimitar, almost seeming to predict the movements of the blond. But even with Sasuke's tactical advantage, Naruto was able to overcome many of the prince's attacks due to his sheer alacrity and dexterity. As Naruto charged at the prince once again, he used his sais to disarm the prince by spiraling the scimitar out of the prince's hand—he had done it so quickly it took a few seconds for Sasuke to register it was no longer in his hand. While looking back to find out where his weapon had gone, Sasuke felt a body press him down into the ground. Closing his eyes upon impact, the prince let out a gasp of air as his back hit the hardened sand of the training ground.

Sasuke could hear heated breathing close to his face and as he opened up his eyes he stared at the blond warrior who was straddling him and pinning his hands to the ground. The usually flowing blond hair was plastered against the tanned skin, with beads of sweat moving down the smiling face. After so many hours of training, the blond's muscles were heavily flexed from the physical exertion—each muscle accented by the droplets of sweat coating the tight tanned skin. Sasuke's heart hinched as the blue eyes intensely gazed into his. The man on top of him was breathing warm air through parted lips which made contact with Sasuke's neck, causing the man underneath to quiver in delight. Naruto's skin was flushed with color creating a warm glow around the blond. Sasuke could feel something in his throat form as he realized that Naruto was moving in closer to his face.

Noticing a blush forming on Sasuke's cheeks, Naruto grinned, "I think I won, Sasuke."

Too choked up on the contact between them, Sasuke nodded in agreement.

Naruto let go of Sasuke's hands and stood up, dusting his pants off. He looked at Sasuke, who was now just starting to get up from the ground, "You know, Sasuke, with more training you would be one tough opponent."

"Th—Thanks," stuttered the prince who was still in a state of shock at how the previous scene had formed a ball in his throat which made it hard to speak.

As the were getting ready to get back to their rooms, Naruto's keen eyesight picked up a dark figure watching them. Naruto got into a defensive stance, placing his hand in front of Sasuke. "Who's there!?"

The figure started walking towards them. As the body caught light, Naruto saw that the man wearing the same attire as Sasuke. All of a sudden, Sasuke yelled, "Itachi!"

Naruto's eyes relaxed and his hand moved away from Sasuke. "Sorry Prince Itachi, I did not know it was you." His blue eyes moved to the ground knowing that he had just yelled at the current heir to the Uchiha citadel. The only source of comfort Naruto had at this point was the younger prince beside him.

The older Uchiha stopped a few feet in front of Naruto. "Ah, Naruto. You do not have to apologize, I am glad to see that you are quite alert and protective over Sasuke."

A wave of relief washed over Naruto as he thanked Itachi, eyes still fixed on the ground. There was something about the older Uchiha that created a feeling of danger—it made Naruto extremely uneasy.

Itachi's eyes grazed the tanned body in front of him, taking in the magnificent display of physical beauty. "That was an impressive training match, Naruto. One day you must honor me in a sparring match as well."

Sasuke caught the hungry, predatory look in Itachi's eyes and felt an anger well up inside of him. He, however, kept his mouth shut and watched helplessly as Itachi continued to devour Naruto's image.

Naruto nodded in agreement, "Of course, Prince Itachi."

With that Itachi walked passed the blond, allowing their shoulders to touch, as he made his way to Sasuke. Naruto flinched at the contact of Itachi's cold skin, but somehow managed to control his overall composure.

Looking at his younger brother, Itachi placed his hand on top of Sasuke's head, "Sasuke, you fought well." A part of Itachi smiled as he saw a jealous anger in Sasuke's eyes.

Sasuke simply acknowledged his brother's comment and grabbed Naruto's hand. "Naruto, let's go. Itachi is probably going to train now."

The blond looked at the pale hand holding his and wondered how Sasuke's touch was so warm while Itachi's so cold.

Itachi smiled, his back towards Sasuke and Naruto. There was a warm trail of water running down his shoulder—no question it was the sweat transferred from Naruto as Itachi moved past him earlier. He brought his right index finger under the droplet and moved up his shoulder to collect every possible essence of the blond. Bringing his finger to his mouth, he licked up Naruto's heated sweat and smirked. "Someday soon… Naruto."

**TBC. Hope you liked it! Please review and thanks for reading:D**


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